1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Trifles. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The people involved in this play were Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters, The County Attorney, Lewis Hale, Sheriff Henry Peters, and Mrs. Wright (the accused killer of her husband). This play occurs in the 20th century and was first performed around 1916. The play is set in the kitchen of the farmhouse of the Wright family. The dramatic situation as the play unfolds is that of which the characters are seeking any evidence to prove whether or not Mrs. Wright is really the killer or not.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion in the play is when Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale find the canary that has been strangled, that puts them in a predicament in which they could've brought the murderer to justice but they chose to help out Mrs. Wright despite her wrong doings.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
I think the unique factor of the play was the place in which they found the canary; the kitchen. As the males in the play looked everywhere else, they never seemed to check the kitchen as much as the females did which is where they found the only real piece of evidence that could convict Mrs. Wright.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will Mrs. Wright ever be brought to justice for the killing of her husband? Will new evidence ever be found?
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
I think Mrs. Hale struggles with "her against society". I say this as she is very much for women's rights so I think that she is against the society of men who have problems against females as she has the disagreement with the County Attorney. It then feels as if she struggles with "Me against myself" as she starts to be disappointed in herself because she never came to see how Mrs. Wright was doing in the past.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Trifles.
Without a doubt, the most theatrical moment was when they decided to not tell the guys about the dead canary.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
Trifles is good imagery in the play as it was referenced in the play in regards to how women are worried about trifles rather than more important things like murder unlike the fact of how Mrs. Wright was worried about the glass breaking.
The dead bird is good imagery- represents her frustration over a long period of time.
The shattered preserves links with the trifle aspect I was referring to.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
Women Rights Masculinity Justice
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
Family has everything to do with Trifles. There are three couples linked to this play but the most important is Mr. Wright and Mrs. Wright as the entire play is based around their couple issues over a long period of time which led Mrs. Wright to snap and kill Mr. Wright.
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Feminist Theater became relatively large around the Women's Liberation Movement. It is basically feminist oriented plays that outline the struggles females have in society in comparison to men. In a way it passively fights for equal rights and outlines how unfair it can be to be denied the same opportunities or even be treated differently than men. I believe that Trifles falls well within this capacity as it shows how ignorant the males are toward the women, even to the point to where they overlook vital evidence that could convict a killer whereas the women actually found it.
The people involved in this play were Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Peters, The County Attorney, Lewis Hale, Sheriff Henry Peters, and Mrs. Wright (the accused killer of her husband). This play occurs in the 20th century and was first performed around 1916. The play is set in the kitchen of the farmhouse of the Wright family. The dramatic situation as the play unfolds is that of which the characters are seeking any evidence to prove whether or not Mrs. Wright is really the killer or not.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion in the play is when Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale find the canary that has been strangled, that puts them in a predicament in which they could've brought the murderer to justice but they chose to help out Mrs. Wright despite her wrong doings.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
I think the unique factor of the play was the place in which they found the canary; the kitchen. As the males in the play looked everywhere else, they never seemed to check the kitchen as much as the females did which is where they found the only real piece of evidence that could convict Mrs. Wright.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will Mrs. Wright ever be brought to justice for the killing of her husband? Will new evidence ever be found?
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
I think Mrs. Hale struggles with "her against society". I say this as she is very much for women's rights so I think that she is against the society of men who have problems against females as she has the disagreement with the County Attorney. It then feels as if she struggles with "Me against myself" as she starts to be disappointed in herself because she never came to see how Mrs. Wright was doing in the past.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Trifles.
Without a doubt, the most theatrical moment was when they decided to not tell the guys about the dead canary.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
Trifles is good imagery in the play as it was referenced in the play in regards to how women are worried about trifles rather than more important things like murder unlike the fact of how Mrs. Wright was worried about the glass breaking.
The dead bird is good imagery- represents her frustration over a long period of time.
The shattered preserves links with the trifle aspect I was referring to.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
Women Rights
Masculinity
Justice
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
Family has everything to do with Trifles. There are three couples linked to this play but the most important is Mr. Wright and Mrs. Wright as the entire play is based around their couple issues over a long period of time which led Mrs. Wright to snap and kill Mr. Wright.
---------------------
Feminist Theater became relatively large around the Women's Liberation Movement. It is basically feminist oriented plays that outline the struggles females have in society in comparison to men. In a way it passively fights for equal rights and outlines how unfair it can be to be denied the same opportunities or even be treated differently than men. I believe that Trifles falls well within this capacity as it shows how ignorant the males are toward the women, even to the point to where they overlook vital evidence that could convict a killer whereas the women actually found it.